Stingers at the pumps

More people are trying it with the high cost of fuel and we have been hit by at least one a week

Petrol station boss Mukesh Patel

The number of “driveaway” motorists who do not pay has rocketed as petrol prices soar.[>

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But garage owners are hitting back with the fearsome stingers.[>

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Cashiers set off the device when a pump sensor detects a driver trying to sneak off without paying.[>

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Red lights flash and loudspeakers belt out a warning, then a row of razor-sharp metal spikes is triggered as the car’s front wheels go over pressure pads.[>

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The rear wheels are punctured and go flat within 10 seconds then the cunning device leaves a metal tube with a unique indentification number embedded in the tyre, which allows police to trace the thieves.[>

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Petrol station boss Mukesh Patel, of Finsbury, north London, installed the Drivestop system last month after non-payers cost him £5,000 in the past year alone.[>

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“More people are trying it with the high cost of fuel and we have been hit by at least one a week,” he said.[>

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“But since the notices about the spikes went up there haven’t been any driveaways.” [>

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Mr Patel believes the £10,000 system will pay for itself in two years.[>

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The only attempt so far to drive over the spikes came in New Eltham, south-east London. [>

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The thief drove 100 yards on punctured tyres before abandoning the car, which turned out to be stolen.[>